‘That was a real possibility’ – CSK legend concerned after Ruturaj Gaikwad’s snubbing from ODI team

While thinking on the squad, the off-spinner claimed that great batter Ruturaj Gaikwad may have been chosen over wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. He believes Pant is better suited to bat in the top order in white-ball cricket, but Gaikwad is capable of playing spin and rotating strike in the middle overs, as demonstrated by his maiden century in the recent South Africa series.

Ravichandran Ashwin, a former Chennai Super Kings all-rounder, has expressed his thoughts on India’s announced lineup for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. Shubman Gill led the 15-man squad released on Saturday, with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul forming the main batting unit.

“Could Gaikwad have been kept in the squad? I think that was a real possibility. The only spot of contention is between Pant and Gaikwad. It was a straight decision. At four or five, I am sticking my neck out, his batting against spin and ability to run between wickets and close out an innings is phenomenal. I personally don’t think Pant can bat in the middle-order in white-ball cricket at the moment. I think he is a top-three batter”, said Ashwin in a video on his YouTube channel, Ash Ki Baat.

The real toss-up in the selection was between Pant and Ruturaj Gaikwad after Shreyas Iyer’s comeback into the team after his recovery.

In the end, the selectors decided to go with an extra wicketkeeping option and a left-handed batter in Pant, whereas the Maharashtra cricketer found himself dropped despite proving his mettle against South Africa.

Gaikwad, who also captains CSK in the IPL, has one of the finest records in List-A cricket right now. In 97 List-A matches, he has scored 4904 runs at an impressive average of 57.69 and a strike rate of 102.06. On the other hand, Pant is yet to make a significant impact in white-ball cricket, contrary to his exploits in the longest format of the game.

Including Iyer was a straight decision, Ashwin believes

The former India cricketer also recognized the vice-captain Iyer’s comeback. Ashwin believes that the decision to slot in Iyer after his recuperation from the spleen injury in late 2025 during the series against Australia Down Under was a rather straightforward decision.

“It was a straight decision. Shreyas Iyer deserved to come back after the injury, so no discussion there. It is his rightful position”, he said.

With the competition being tight and spots being limited, it will be interesting to see if Gaikwad can turn the heads of the selectors his way going forward. Nonetheless, the Men in Blue will be starting the series against the BlackCaps on January 11 with the first match to be played in Vadodara.